World Cup Interval

The only way these NH and SH tournaments would work, is if you had the actual England, Australia and New Zealand teams competing, not made up teams. We're always saying we want players to stick with the smaller nations, so if we keep excluding the likes of England and Australia from playing the likes of Scotland and PNG, why would they stay?

Exactly, also the WC has credibility which personally I doubt would be diluted by using the NH SH 2 year model, this idea would provide a major shot in the arm for the smaller nations. The idea that if we had a SH WC in 2015 it would be somehow less of a spectacle for Aus fans are IMO misguided and I for one would be more than happy to welcome the tournament back to UK in 2017.

I think there is a lot of merit in mimicking the cricket rotation of WC every 4 years and short form in between. So how about a RLWC every 4 years (2017, 2021) and a WC 9s every in between (e.g. 2015, 2019, 2023)

Whichever hemisphere hosts the full RLWC does not hold the 9s WC. So the Northern Hemisphere could host a 9s WC in 2015. The good thing about 9s is that it is a big occasion but it is all done and dusted in a week - and at one venue.

Other sports have other major tournaments in between, we have little. We should pick a timescale that suits us, not just what others have done. 4 may be the right time period, but not because others do it.

Other sports have other major tournaments in between, we have little. We should pick a timescale that suits us, not just what others have done. 4 may be the right time period, but not because others do it.

Arguments both ways have merit. I must admit that watching the likes of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Jonathan Thurston having to squirm for 5 years before being able to put the loss in the 2008 RLWC right was enjoyable and added to the status of the event.

You could see how much it meant to those players at Old Trafford as there was nothing they could do about not being World Champions for all that timespan. If it was every couple of years then it would have been pretty much done and dusted in two years and may not have felt so special to those players. Had they lost the 2013 final you would have had a whole generation of Australian test starts who had never won the World Cup.

I think 4 years is fine. Golf's Ryder Cup is every couple of years and I do sometimes think - is it coming up again already?

Arguments both ways have merit. I must admit that watching the likes of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Jonathan Thurston having to squirm for 5 years before being able to put the loss in the 2008 RLWC right was enjoyable and added to the status of the event.

You could see how much it meant to those players at Old Trafford as there was nothing they could do about not being World Champions for all that timespan. If it was every couple of years then it would have been pretty much done and dusted in two years and may not have felt so special to those players. Had they lost the 2013 final you would have had a whole generation of Australian test starts who had never won the World Cup.

I think 4 years is fine. Golf's Ryder Cup is every couple of years and I do sometimes think - is it coming up again already?

Yep, agree with your last point, and the Cricket Ashes suffered from overkill last time for me.

No major issues with 4 years, it's the other 3 years that I have an issue with.

Yep, agree with your last point, and the Cricket Ashes suffered from overkill last time for me.

No major issues with 4 years, it's the other 3 years that I have an issue with.

Absolutely mate. No one would care about World Cup intervals if there was a proper programme. What cheeses me off is that nations like France, PNG and England are full members of the RLIF. Why are they not proposing things and out-voting Aus-NZ - or do we have a system where the Aussie have a golden veto or something?

I noticed that PNG were trying to get the Pacific Cup back on the table. I hope they succeeded.

Absolutely mate. No one would care about World Cup intervals if there was a proper programme. What cheeses me off is that nations like France, PNG and England are full members of the RLIF. Why are they not proposing things and out-voting Aus-NZ - or do we have a system where the Aussie have a golden veto or something?

I noticed that PNG were trying to get the Pacific Cup back on the table. I hope they succeeded.

I think our biggest issue is that we do not have governing bodies in the major nations that put the international game right at the pinnacle of everything they do.

The reality is that the RLIF shouldn't be organising that much, they should be facilitators. They should start by looking to underwrite potential losses for tours and tournaments hosted by federations.

PNG should be able to host a Pacific Tournament without fear of bankrupting themselves.

Absolutely mate. No one would care about World Cup intervals if there was a proper programme. What cheeses me off is that nations like France, PNG and England are full members of the RLIF. Why are they not proposing things and out-voting Aus-NZ - or do we have a system where the Aussie have a golden veto or something?

I noticed that PNG were trying to get the Pacific Cup back on the table. I hope they succeeded.

Some interesting points made here and yes I absolutely agree that the 4 yr WC cycle isn't really the issue it is the case that there is no meaningful international comp beyond the 4 nations in the interval and that does little to develop the emerging nations. Perhaps a 9's tournament would provide a realistic alternative if it were high profile enough but I doubt it would generate the exposure a WC would in either Aus or the UK so perhaps it should be this that we take around the world I.e USA, Germany, Russia or Canada.